Hegseth Pushes Asean Unity Against Beijing in South China Sea
Pete Hegseth attends the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, on Nov. 1.
Photographer: Hansoor Hussain/AFP/Getty Images
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth called on Southeast Asia to strengthen cooperation in maritime surveillance including the use of unmanned technologies to counter what he said was worsening aggression by Beijing in the South China Sea.
Speaking during an meeting in Malaysia with defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday, Hegseth urged the bloc to build a unified maritime domain awareness network and develop joint capabilities to respond to threats.